CHARLESTON — When Ronald and Delia Arroyo and their two children, 15-year-old Guido and 6-year-old Julianna went to Memphis Immigration Court March 22, facing possible deportation, they were backed by their parish, Sacred Heart Church, and the city of Charleston.
Thirty residents attended the hearing with them to give witness to their character, including pastor Father Dhanraj Narla; Mayor Sherman Hiatt; city council member Jeff Hayes, who is also Ronald Arroyo’s employer; superintendent of schools Jeff Stubblefield, in whose school district Delia Arroyo is employed; school board member Brian Verkamp and members of the parish community.
Parishioners who were not able to travel to Memphis held a rosary vigil at the church during the hearing. Bishop Anthony B. Taylor could not attend the hearing but drove to Sacred Heart’s first Lenten fish fry with a letter of support for the Arroyos to present to the court.
“The judge was very impressed with the number of people who attended and said it was a testament to our character,” Ronald Arroyo said. “He wanted to listen to every witness and so he postponed our hearing until April 9, 2012. He set aside a whole day on his calendar to listen to their testimony.”
Costa Ricans Ronald and Delia Arroyo and their infant son Guido flew to Arkansas on a six-month visa in 1997. After Ronald found work in a dairy, and later in farming, the family decided to stay. Ronald’s second employer promised to sponsor him for citizenship but neglected to fill out paperwork until the statute of limitations had expired. In October 2008, they were ordered to appear in Memphis Immigration Court on Jan. 5, 2009.
The March hearing was the third postponement the family faced since their first hearing in 2009, but each postponement has given them the opportunity to get legal representation, gather evidence and build support within the community.
“At our first hearing, we were told we needed a lawyer,” Ronald Arroyo said. “I went to Rogers to hire a lawyer, who told me our case would cost $12,000 and that our chances were not good. I went home wondering how we could ever raise that money because even though Delia and I both work, we only make enough to support ourselves. But the church came up and said they could help us, and that’s why we could stay.”
Parishioners Veronica Frederick and Brandy Verkamp enlisted the help of other families to hold a benefit dinner to raise money for the Arroyos’ legal fees. More than 300 families attended the barbeque dinner April 20, raising $7,000 for the family.
“There are three factors that are considered in every immigration case,” Frederick said. “Length of stay, character and potential harm to the family. The first two factors are in their favor. We are continuing to build the case over the next year. The school counselor is able to testify on the harm this will cause the children.”
“Because Julianna was born in the United States, her parents could qualify for a green card on the basis of her citizenship, but a minor sibling cannot give eligibility for a green card to an older sibling. Guido, who has been here since he was 11 months old, is suffering the most,” she said.
The family has been active in Sacred Heart Church since 2000 after moving west from St. Anthony Church in Ratcliff, where they were members for three years. Ronald is an active member of the Knights of Columbus; Delia helps teach religious education classes; and Guido is an altar server and Catholic Youth Ministry member.
“We can’t give enough thanks to everybody in our church and in this town giving us a lot of support with money, phone calls and prayers,” Delia Arroyo said.
“We loved this town because everyone in the church had been very friendly with us,” Ronald Arroyo said, “but now, with all the support the town gave us, we feel that there are more people who want us to stay. We have our family in our country, but we have another family here. They love our kids and our kids love their life here.”